Solar modules, such as photovoltaic solar modules and solar thermal modules, are often installed on the ground, on a roof or on other structures. It is common to install the solar modules using a pair of rails secured to a rooftop or other structure. For example, solar modules are secured to rails with clamps. The long rails required for such solar modules can increase installation cost due to transportation and material cost. Further, in such systems clamps of various sizes are required to accommodate solar modules with different frame thickness. Additional mounting and securing methods include rail-less or rail-free solar mounting methods, where clamps are used to secure solar modules to each other and to a roof. The roof attachment usually includes a clamp in order to connect modules to each other and to secure roof attachment to modules. Since the clamp and roof attachment provide the dual functions of connecting modules together and securing modules to the roof, the clamp may not be at the optimal position to connect two modules together and the roof attachments may not be at the optimal position where roof attachment provides maximum support and attachment security to the solar modules.
Often a rooftop is not precisely leveled due to age of the roof structure or roofing materials. This requires attachment and clamping devices to be height adjustable in order to accommodate roof conditions. Due to the required complexity, roof attachment and clamping can be expensive and difficult to install. It can also be difficult to precisely position a module frame and roof attachment.
Roof attachments are usually secured to a roof before modules are installed. Since a module frame need to be installed precisely next to previously installed modules, the roof attachment that is previously installed needs to be at the desired position precisely. This is sometimes difficult and or impossible to accomplish; therefore, roof attachments must be adjustable laterally, adding complexity and expensive to roof attachments.